Electric incandescent lamp



May 26, 1936. H. F. RUSSELL V 2,042,126

ELECTRIC INCANDES CENT LAMP Filed Dec. 11, 1935 8a J0 J6 5i;

Patented May 26, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE E ECTRIC INCANDESCENTLAIWP Henry Forbes Russell, Quincy, Mass. Application December 11, 1933,Serial No.. 701,768

3 Claims.

My invention relates to electric incandescent lamps which compriseelectric energy translating electrodes and filaments which are heated toincandescence during operation and which are enclosed in a hermeticallysealed transparent glass bulb or other container. This inventioncomprises a system of moveable and interchangeable elements ofconstruction within the sealed bulb. My major object is to provide, asystem whereby reserve concentrated filaments may be protected from thegreat evaporating power of a. highly energized and intensely heated andconcentrated filament, and in which, upon failure of the original heatedfilament, the said reserve filaments may move from a relatively remoteposition to a pre-determinedpos'ition or to a central position in thesaid sealed container, andin which a reserve filament when in the saidcentral position may be individually energized.

A further object of this invention is to provide exceedingly simple,eflective and practical means to actuate my system.

My invention finds particular application to lamps of the higher wattagetype which are quite expensive and of comparatively short life, acondition which has seriously hampered their 0 mmercial use.Furthermore, the operating ternperature of filaments of comparativelylower wattage lamps have been lower than they could be, more on theaccount ,of the commercial demand for a long life lamp than the lack ofknowledge of how to keep the temperature up. My system thereforeprovides means for a lamp of longer life, or greater emciency in lumensper watt consumed, or a combination of both said features.

I attain these objects by means of mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:-

Figure 1 is a vertical partial section of my electric incandescent lamp,and in which figure is shown a tubular glass stem 2 having an annularflange 23 at its lower extremity, leading-in wires 3 individually sealedinto the press 24 of the said stem, and a concentrated tungstenfilament. 4 bridging the said leading-in wires. Furthermore is shown atransparent glass bulb l having .a tubular neck 20 continuous therewith0 and adapted to admit the stem 2 with its annu- *larfiange ZS -Anexhaust tube I1 is sealed to the said, stem sothat one end thereof opensinto the interior of the bulb when the stem is sealed thereto. The otherend of the said exhaust tube remains open until after the bulb is sealedto the stem at I9 and the lamp is exhausted and filled with the usualfilling of nitrogen and argon gases after which it is sealed ofi at l8.

In Fig. l is shown a non-conducting, rotating 8 gram glass wheel 5mounted on a fixed tungsten axle 6; all of which and more followingshall be shown in full detail and described in full detail later.

Multiple tungsten conducting arms 8., l, 1 imbedded in the said wheel,extend radially and outwardly, and carry multiple bridging concentratedtungsten filaments i, l, s respectively. The said multiple conductingarms and their said respective bridging filaments move and rotate withthe said wheel and are inter-changeable and are capable of beingindividually energized, as will be shown.

Multiple tungsten semi-circular contacts 8 have multiple downwardlyprojecting and supporting tungsten arms 8a respectively; said supportingarms being unmoveably mounted, without touching each other. The saidsemi-circular contacts 8 are in fixed relation with the said leading-inwires 3, respectively.

A 19 gram tungsten weight I ii is inserted in fixed relation at anoff-centered point in the said wheel, and has for its object to producegreater momentum in one side of the wheel when the wheel is givenmotion.

In regard to the manner in which this invention is to be used: Asubstantial shake 'or series of shakes, not suflicient to rupture; anyportion of my lamp, and parallel to the plane of the wheel 5, and in adirection in this-said plane as will give motion to and control motionof the said weight Ii! relative to the lamp container, shall be appliedexternally to my entire lamp; where: upon abrupt cessation of the motionof the lamp container shall cause, by momentum of the weight, the saidwheel with its multiple conducting arms 1, l, "l and their respectivefilaments d, d, t to move, rotate and inter-change from one position toanother in the sealed container. Furthermore, by these means the saidconducting arms with their respective filaments move, rotate andinter-change, one after another, from a relatively remote position to acentral position in the said container.

When any two adjacent associated conducting arms such as l with theirbridging concentrated filament 4 enter the central position in thecontainer, as shown, they contact the multiple semi-circular contacts 8respectively, and

' the said arms with their said filament individually enter electricalcircuit.

' state that the wheel must not be equally balanced, otherwise no amountof shaking of the lamp can make the wheel move relative to the lampcontainer.

I will now show in full detail and describe in full detail theconstruction and combinations of my invention and the manner in whichthe same is to be made and used.

Figures 2 and 3 are detail figures of part of the filament carrier, andin which fig res respectively is shown a recess II to receive and holdin fixed relation the tungsten weight shown in perspective in Fig. 4. Anaxle hole I! is adapted to receive the tungsten axle shown inperspective in Fig. 5. The ends la of threesets of associated conductingarms of the said multiple conducting arms are shown imbedded in andsupported in fixed radially and outwardly projecting direction in thesaid wheel.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the tungsten axle, and in which figureis shown a flanged face 6a for the purpose of keeping the said wheel inposition, and is shown an end 612 to be imbedded in and supported infixed relation in some stable portion of the lamp, preferably the upperpart of the stem 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the multiple tungsten conductingarms, and in which figure is shown an outermost end lb to support oneend of one of the multiple concentrated filaments, and is shown aninnermost end Ia to be fixed in the wheel as has been described.

Fig. '7 is a side elevation, when horizontally placed, of the contactingmechanism, and in which figure is shown the non-conducting, rotatingwheel 5, mounted upon its fixed axle 6, said axle 6 being imbedded inand finding support in the stem 2. Furthermore is shown two associatedconducting arms 1, 1 with the associated concentrated filament 4,contacting the semi-circular contacts 8, 8 in brushing contactrespectively. Furthermore is shown thesemicircular contacts 8, 8 withtheir downwardly pro.- jecting and supporting arms 8a, 8a respectively;said arms being imbedded in and finding support, without touching eachother, in the stem 2'. Furthermore is shown the leading-in wires 3, 3 infixed relation with the semi-circular contacts 8, 8 respectively.

I intend that, referring to Fig. 1, the force of friction of the wheel 5upon its axle 6, shall at all times exceed the force of gravity upon theweight it], whereby the entire mechanism remains motionless regardlessof the position in which my lamp is held. I intend that the said forceof friction shall be as small as possible consistent with theforcenecessary to counteract motion of the wheel by gravity.

It can be seen that the same controlled motion of the rotating wheelmight be obtained in an other fashion, as for example magnetically,having weight ill of ma netic material in a conveniently appliedmagnetic field; or again by making use of a coiled spring suitablycontrolled. Such methods might be applicable to very large lamps whichdo not adapt themselves to being shaken, or to lamps which are noteasily reached. 5

Again, it can be seen that my reserve filaments may be stoppedaccurately and positively in operative position by simple means such asa ratchet, or stop-arm, or any other type of convenient brake. Itherefore do not wish to limit myself 10 to a shaking method for thepurpose of actuating my system or .controlling the motion of my system,although it is apparent that a shaking method is a most excellent andpreferable way of actuating and a satisfactory way of control- 15 lingthe motion of my system.

I have found at present that I may be limited to only two reservefilaments and possibly to one reserve filament, not because of anymechanical I difiiculty in putting many reserve filaments into 20 thesealed bulb, but because the intensely heated glow-space of theenergized concentrated filament demands a large isolated space foritself, furthermore any reserve filaments within this said demandedspace become either burned out 25 or heavily coated with a tungstendeposit coming from electron emission of the energized filament, and,the said tungsten deposit, being a conductor of electricity, changes, inan uncon trollable fashion, the resistance of such reserve filaments;both results thereby rendering such reserve filaments exceedinglyunreliable.

During the operation of my lamp, the energized filament in the centralposition of the sealed container gives ofi large quantities of electronemis- 35 sions. Thus a thickness of tungsten deposit varying from 0 toinch in thickness will deposit on the inner wall of the sealedcontainer. This extreme thickness of deposit on a 1000 watt reservefilament would reduce the resistance of this filament approximately 68%.My system largely overcomes the difliculty of the deposition of tungstenon the reserve filaments by having the reserve filaments out of the pathof the major portion of the moving electron emissions.

Again, when one of my reserve filaments burns out, it usually becomesgreatly distorted and bent out of shape as a result of the great heatwhich has been evolved. The dimculty heretofore usually experienced inthe short-circuiting and fusion of the burnt-out filament with theadjacent reserve filaments is. entirely overcome in my system by havingthe reserve filaments far out of reach of the burnt-out filament.

According to my invention, the lamp is removed' 55 from its operatingposition after the first filament in the central position of the sealedcontainer is rendered useless. The lamp is shaken in the direction inwhich it is desired to make the associated electrodes and filamentsmove; 60 which direction may be clock-wise or counterclock-wise. By theenergy of the momentum in the weight, the wheel and associatedelectrodes and filaments continue in their motion after the lampcontainer is abruptly stopped, and rotate 55 until the associatedelectrodes and filaments next in turn enter the central operatingposition. This it will do with ease, one shake usually being sufiicientto actuate this entire motion. The lamp is now put back in operativeposition and is again 70 ready for use. Upon the burning-out of thislatter filament, the next filament, in like manner, is rotated intooperative position.

Obviously I do not wish to be limited to the exact details ofconstruction as herein' described 75 asthesemaybevafledw'ithinthelimitso! the appended claims without departing from theeon-. eeption of my invention. 7

whatlelaimasnewanddesiretoseeure by Letters Patent of the United States,is:

1. In an electric incandescent lamp, the combination of a hermeticallysealed transparent container, a press in said container, lead wiressupported by said press, and a plurality of assoelated electrodes, andfilaments mounted on a rotatable member the rotatable member having itscenter nearer the press than the center of the container, therein, saidmember being supported at the top of said press, substantially as hereindescribed. I

2..In an electric incandescent lamp, the combination of .a hermeticallysealed transparent container, a press insaid container, lead wiressupported by said press, and a plurality of assorotatable member therotatable member having greater weight on one side of its pivotal pointthan on the other side of its pivotal point and having its center nearerthe press than'the center of the container. therein, said member beingsupported at the top of said. press, substantially as' elatedelectrodes, and filaments mounted on a member the rotatable memberhaving greater weight on' one side of its pivotal point than on theother side of its pivotal point, therein, said member being supported atthe top of said press, substantially as herein described.

HENRY FORBES RUSSELL.

